"What's your name?"
"Xie De."
"Scheid?"
"Mm."
"That sounds like a name from one of the old noble families."
The light overhead flickered. Arkham's off-site recruitment area was dim, but Gotham had been blessed with a rare glimpse of sunshine that day, breaking through the thick clouds and spilling over the ground.
The recruiter was a middle-aged man in a suit. He leafed through Xie De's résumé, speaking with polished courtesy.
"Mr. Scheid, I see you majored in philosophy at university. Would you mind obtaining a counseling certification as well? Ah, don't worry. We'll provide the counselor training and arrange for you to earn the certification."
Xie De asked, "Wasn't I applying to be a security guard?"
"Yes, but after reading your résumé, I think that might be a waste of your talents." The middle-aged man chose his words carefully, looking him up and down. "Please forgive the intrusive question, but are you really just an ordinary person?"
What kind of question was that? He supposed he was.
Xie De nodded.
The middle-aged man asked another question. "Then you must have had some modeling training? Or perhaps you come from a distinguished family? Ha, don't get me wrong. You simply have a very striking presence."
Xie De paused. He couldn't remember anything from his past, but did he have a family?
"I think I've had some modeling training," Xie De said hesitantly.
"I see." The middle-aged man made a few marks on his résumé. "All right, then. I recommend applying for the psychologist's assistant position. It should suit you better, and the pay is higher."
At the mention of higher pay, Xie De's hesitation vanished.
"All right. Thank you."
"You're welcome."
By the time Xie De came out of the recruitment office.
Gotham's fleeting sunshine had already disappeared. The